Adaptive intelligence (AQ) as a way of working smarter

Tim Vermeire and Rudi Francken make up the AQ brigade. They are the authors of the book ‘AQ: Adaptieve intelligentie - Lichter leven, slimmer werkenNew window’ (in Dutch). They both have years of experience in guiding people, companies, and organizations toward greater adaptability. Tim: “Adaptive intelligence is not new. Everyone has a certain adaptability. That’s in our genes and our brains. We do notice that many people are no longer able to keep up with the tsunami of change and deal with it wisely.”

Tim Vermeire, author of the book ‘AQ – adaptieve intelligentie’

Busy Brain Syndrome

“The speed at which everything is changing is gigantic,” adds Rudi. “Technologies for hybrid working offer significant value. At the same time, they threaten to make us lose our calm and our overview. This is also known as Busy Brain Syndrome. Where we used to take a coffee break or listen to some music on the way to work, we now experience a constant stream of information and stimuli. The continuously increased cortisol production weighs on our efficiency and mood. The psychological result of this is not infrequently burnout.”

The authors map out the path to greater resilience and performance using five principles: energy, essentialism, focus, balance, and a growth mindset. “They correlate strongly with each other and provide tools for both individuals and organizations. In terms of focus, it might pay to include focus time, where each employee can work undisturbed for a certain amount of time. Another option is to schedule a meeting time of forty-five minutes instead of one hour. That creates the time and space to disconnect.”

Rudi Franken, author of the book ‘AQ – adaptieve intelligentie’

Holistic approach

Tim and Rudi point out the importance of a holistic view. “Many companies and leaders know that dealing with change brings challenges. They introduce various measures, albeit in a piecemeal fashion. People then quickly miss the broader framework: what can I do, when and why? “Rather than setting up separate initiatives, I recommend weaving adaptive intelligence into the corporate culture. To do that, as a leader, you need to understand what’s going on within your team.”

The AQ brigade conducts assessments within companies and organizations. “We identify what is lacking at the individual and team level and point out the actions that need to be taken. The results and solutions look different each time,” Tim clarifies.

But what does a thorough approach around AQ yield a company in concrete terms? “The well-being of employees is more important today than ever. Those who cannot handle change wisely and in a balanced way will not feel happy, will lose efficiency, and may in fact leave the organization. Also, younger generations of employees consider an agile and people-oriented approach a must.”

Three tips for an adaptive organization

1) Stop endless questioning, opt for targeted measurements
Many companies organize an annual survey for their employees as part of engagement. That is then turned into a report, which then flows back to all stakeholders. Six months later, it produces an action plan that is rolled out very piecemeal. In the end, the impact is pretty much zero. While the primary concern is to help people as quickly as possible. It is better to do that focused on target groups with a sensible preparation and approach.

2) As a leader, take the lead
Delve into adaptive intelligence as a leader. That knowledge enables you to respond to the needs of the team in the best possible way. So, put your leaders in charge of personal leadership and collective adaptive capacity through improvement methodology.

3) Work at the team level
Focus less on the individual and more on a team or department. That common context has an impact, and you also need to understand it in order to take targeted action where necessary. On the other hand, this also allows you to address the context to the level that fits within your scope. An individual approach is very labor intensive and also quickly creates suspicion. So, choose a collective approach with an emphasis on shared responsibility and together work on improving willingness and the ability to change.